Andre Reed gets goose bumps along with a gold jacket as his big weekend begins in Canton

Hall of Fame weekend begins in Canton with a gala dinner and presentation of symbolic gold jacket that all inductees receive.

August 01, 2014|By Keith Groller, Of The Morning Call

CANTON, Ohio — The gala dinner and ceremony was over at the Canton Memorial Civic Center on Friday night and the NFL Network cameras had been turned off.

But Andre Reed was in no hurry to go anywhere.

Moments earlier, Reed, the former Dieruff High and Kutztown University standout who became one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history as a member of the Buffalo Bills, had received his gold jacket symbolizing his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

And, Reed, who on the night of Saturday, Aug. 2 will officially become one of just 287 people to receive the highest honor awarded in America's most popular sport, wanted to show off his new attire.

"It feels like goose bumps," he said as he greeted family and friends and posed for photos. "You bet it fits."

As one of seven inductees in this year's class, Reed will receive a Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence at a Bills home game this season to go along with the jacket. His bust, to be displayed in the Hall of Fame museum, will be unveiled during the enshrinement ceremony at nearly Fawcett Stadium. ESPN2 will televise it nationally beginning at 7 p.m.

It's hard to imagine Saturday's ceremony will be more emotional that what transpired on Friday night, when most of the living Hall of Famers, including all-time greats such as Jim Brown, Gale Sayers, Emmitt Smith and Mean Joe Greene, gathered to welcome the newcomers into their fraternity.

"You can't even describe it," Reed said. "To see all of those yellow jackets out there and to have them embrace you into their fraternity … that's what the Hall of Fame is all about. When you go out there and see that … it gives you a different feeling..."

Reed, 50, had great feelings as he talked with his longtime quarterback Jim Kelly, a Hall of Famer who had repeatedly said over the years that Reed belongs in Canton with him.

Kelly, who is battling cancer and appears frail, received one of the biggest ovations of the night when the past inductees were introduced to a crowd of more than 4,500.

Nothing could keep Kelly from Canton to see his friend's big moment.

"He's pushing it," Kelly's wife Jill said in an interview with the Buffalo News. "His life is still in that place of uncertainty, not knowing really what's going to happen with all of this. So he's still beat down; he's still tired, he still gets sick quite a bit. But he would not miss this for the world."

Jim Kelly, who will toss the coin before Sunday's Hall of Fame Game featuring the Bills and the Giants, remains as close to Reed as anybody. Reed has made regular visits to be with Kelly during his treatments.

The two had a warm embrace when Reed saw Kelly as he walked through the crowd of Hall of Famers gathered on the Civic Center floor.

It was one of the most special moments on a night filled with them for Reed, who has waited for this weekend seemingly his entire life.

"We're not going to make him wait one second later," gala emcee Rich Eisen said as began to introduce Reed. "I think it's safe to say there's nowhere else [Reed] would rather be than right here, right now."

After having his jacket placed over his shoulders by his Bills coach and his Hall of Fame presenter Marv Levy, Reed walked around the stage and pointed to members of his family, including his mother Joyce Reed-Ebling and siblings Tyrone, Dion and Teshia, who were scattered in various parts of the arena floor.

His family arrived in Canton on Thursday and were featured extensively in a NFL Network documentary on Reed's life that debuted that night. They also got to experience their dreams come true.

"This has been nothing but top-notch," Dion Reed said.

"We've had a wonderful day-and-a-half here so far, and we're very excited about what's still to come," Tyrone Reed said. "This place is phenomenal. Last night I got to hang out with the likes of Earl Campbell, Leroy Kelly, Jack Youngblood, Ray Guy. We were hanging with those people and found out that they're down to earth just like you and me. It was fantastic."

Reed-Ebling said she's been getting the star treatment.

"We came over here from our hotel in buses and with a police escort," she said. "They stopped all the traffic. This is definitely amazing."

In addition to family, several busloads of Reed's friends, including former teammates and coaches from Dieruff and Kutztown, converged on Canton.

Saturday's activities will begin with the Timken Grand Parade in downtown Canton and the Dieruff High School band and renowned ROTC program will participate.

Kutztown will also be represented.

"Without a doubt, this is big," said Jack Wabby, a Kutztown University trustee and former chairman of District 11 athletics. "This is a great moment for the Kutztown Golden Bears and Dieruff Huskies and everybody back home. I was a close friend of the late Mike Meilinger [Dieruff's principal when Reed played there]. I miss Mike, but I know he's up there smiling right now."